Thai fishery groups vow to eliminate child and forced labour within two years

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Producers vow to clean up act
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation


Migrant workers in the fishery products industry attend a religious activity arranged by their employers recently. Members of the Thai Fishery Producers Coalition have regularly provided this kind of activity to their local and migrant labour

Fishery groups vow to eliminate child and forced labour within two years

BANGKOK: -- MEMBERS of the Thai Fishery Producers Coalition made a joint commitment in April to completely eliminate child and forced labour from their 'upstream' supply chains to 'downstream' manufacturers within two years.

That was before the US downgraded Thailand to the lowest level of Tier 3 in its 2014 Trafficking in Persons report (TIP) released on 10 days ago.

Poj Aramwattananont, chairman of the Thai Fishery Producers Coalition, which represents eight fishery associations, said Thai producers had sought to tackle forced and children labour since 2006. The industry had cooperated with government agencies and other countries to try to solve the problem but had yet to completely resolve them as the industry involves more than 40,000 boats, including some operating under foreign flags.

Thailand should be upgraded in the TIP report soon, he claimed, as the industry has made serious efforts to eliminate forced and child labour for many years.

All coalition members has vowed to rid child and forced labour from their facilities and pre-production process by September. In one year, they will draw up a plan to provide better facilities for workers, such as accommodation. In 2 years, they will commit to eliminate child and forced labour in their supply chain.

Any member that fails to fulfil the commitment would see membership terminated, which means it would be unable to export its products.

Code of ethical conduct

Those in the shrimp industry say they comply with Thai laws on child and forced labour and human trafficking. Members say they maintain an ethical standard expected of responsible business operators by fully abiding with all present and future labour laws, treating all workers fairly and without discrimination against sex, race or national origin, and providing a safe working environment and adequate support facilities.

Members also denounced abusive, exploitative use of workers.

A final draft of a code of ethical practices to be ratified by members will be mutually recognised by trade partners such as the National Fish Institute of America.

The Thai Frozen Foods Association (TFFA), which groups 194 producers and 60 pre-processors, is one of the major members of the coalition.

It has continued to eliminate child labour and the trafficking of alien workers. It has joined with the Fisheries Department to raise the standard of pre-processing plants handling marine products.

Members have also collaborated with human rights NGOs such as the Labour Protection Network, Migrant Worker Rights Network, Rak Thai Foundation and Annalai to improve and promote the quality of life and welfare of workers and their children who form part of the industry.

TFFA and each of its members have also jointly and separately organised corporate social responsibility activities for their local and migrant workers and their families, such as providing scholarships and hiring teachers to educate their children.

To raise the bar on labour protection, TFFA collaborates with the International Labour Organisation, Fisheries Department and Department of Labour Protection and Welfare to map plant locations, record each manufacture's profile and conduct a baseline survey of members' facilities and their pre-processors.

TFFA has set up a hotline for workers to contact in case of emergency or unfair treatment by employers. The operator of this hotline - the Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation - can respond to local and Myanmar callers.

The association has also worked with the Myanmar and Cambodian governments to maintain the living conditions of their nationals working in Thailand, he added.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Producers-vow-to-clean-up-act-30237367.html


-- The Nation 2014-06-30

[noitom]

Until the Thai military hauls off a few Thai fishery owners in handcuffs and perp walks them, no one in the world would take this Thai blustering and puffing seriously.

[chooka]

Is this the same group that said they don't use slave labour? Shouldn't be to hard to stop then but why two years, is it because those who have bought their slaves want to get their value back first.

[terryp]

like telling a rape victim ...just 2 more years of rape then you are free (thats if you last that long) Thailand is really idiotic, first they deny all claims and get upset now they are saying yes we do make slaves from children etc but only 2 more years ...HOW ABOUT STOPPING TODAY

[NeverSure]

But wait. Where are the scathing remarks about how they don't give a damn about what the EU or the US think? Did they just decide to make these solemn delaying promises all by themselves?

Edited June 29, 2014 by NeverSure

[NongKhaiKid]

Within 2 years s an admission it exists.

We'll get around to it isn't good enough.

[londonthai]

eating publicly sandwich is a criminal offence, enslaving workers and child labour is not, however, the industry will self-regulate itself in order to keep export market

[Mango Bob]

Why two years, what takes them so long. It should be completed in a week. Why would it take 2 years to get these children off the streets.

[smutcakes]

At least they have given a timeline on it and tactile admittance of the problem. I imagine they could correct there use and downstream pretty quickly, but upstream it may be more out of their hands.

At least steps seem to be being taken, hopefully there will be constant follow up on this, so it does not just disappear into all the other things.

[SABloke]

Fines, threats of imprisonment and even time behind bars are not deterrents. Only the risk of substantial financial losses will bring about change. I propose that any vessel found to have forced and/or child labourers onboard, should be seized immediately and then sunk - no appeals or extensions granted etc. The ocean could do with some more artificial reefs anyway.

[alfalfa19]

I guess it's time for them to say politically correct things, and make nice noises.

[iphad]

if there are companies using child & forced labor, 2 years is too long.

One day more is too long.

I don't care what the Western Nations say, they need to clean up their own Morals.

For the Workers..this needs to be addressed immediately.

Any company caught ..persons involved jailed,fined,property/boats confiscated.

Military government needs to investigate immediately as one of it's top priorities.

[bangkokheat]

its going to take 2 years because of the massive paperwork we are all to familiar with

[atsiii]

Clean up what? They've been saying for the last few days that there is nothing to clean up. Now they say they will have it cleaned up in two years????????????????

[zyphodb]

Thais will say whatever is necessary not to lose face or more importantly, money. But saying and doing are two very different things, too many big fish involved for anything real to happen...

[steveyinasia]

Jail these parasite until they fix the problem, I bet they find a solution faster than 2 years

[soalbundy]

Clean up what? They've been saying for the last few days that there is nothing to clean up. Now they say they will have it cleaned up in two years????????????????

The civilized part of the world, for who's opinion they supposedly don't give a hoot, wagged its finger at them. International loss of face, not their concern for humane values caused a change.

[The Deerhunter]

The west cannot complain if it fails to understand Thai-ism.

[Stradavarius37]

The cockroaches are running for cover!

[RigPig]

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At least they have given a timeline on it and tactile admittance of the problem. I imagine they could correct there use and downstream pretty quickly, but upstream it may be more out of their hands.

At least steps seem to be being taken, hopefully there will be constant follow up on this, so it does not just disappear into all the other things.

Thais will say whatever is necessary not to lose face or more importantly, money. But saying and doing are two very different things, too many big fish involved for anything real to happen...

[klauskunkel]

In one year, they will draw up a plan to provide better facilities for workers, such as accommodation.

"Hi Poj, what are you doing?"

"I am drawing up an 'accommodation' for our workers."

"What's an 'accommodation'?"

"It's like, a room."

"Why? What's wrong with the factory floor?"

"It's too bumpy and America doesn't like that."

"Hey, that's a nice drawing...how many can you fit in there?"

"Maybe 20..."

"You know, you can double that if you stack them on top of each other..."

"That's a great idea, thank you!"

[Oziex1]

OK no problem 2 more years of sanctions, (if and when they actually impose them) condemnation and refusal to buy seafood products.

[HerbalEd]

Just a day or so ago they were saying there is no child or forced labor. Now they say "In 2 years, they will commit to eliminate child and forced labour in their supply chain."

Two years?? That really shows how committed they are.

[HerbalEd]

The west cannot complain if it fails to understand Thai-ism.

So when you do understand, does something magic happen that makes it non-complainable?

[tagranados]

Such a sad situation. But, all this talk about the fishing and seafood industry makes it easy to deflect attention from the shores. I live in Pattaya and wonder why they aren't out here in droves right now. There are so many working here who cannot leave on their own free will. It's not like these women are out on ships and the authorities can say "Oh, they are so far out in international waters; it's very difficult to get to them quickly!" They are right here, right now.

[12DrinkMore]

Why two years, what takes them so long. It should be completed in a week. Why would it take 2 years to get these children off the streets.

Boats.

Do try and stay with it.

The child flower sellers is a another thread.

[bronco10250]

What a plastic reply?! All smoke n mirrors!

[belg]

oh give us 2 years (why???) and in a few weeks time, nobody talks about this topic anymore

case closed, thai style

[Krataiboy]

Now that's what I call a photo opportunity. Guess no cameras were around all those times when press-ganged crew too sick to work a 16-hour day were being tossed overboard.

[Thai at Heart]

How about the.USA reacts with, "you won't export until your entire supply chain is proven clear independent random inspection for 2 years from when you claim it is clean".

So that makes 4 years. I bet they would jump a lot quicker than 2 years. Who said this was a negotiation with these companies Anyway.